Last Magic Words of 2012

I had been looking forward to the last Magic Words of 2012, as I was supposed to give a guest performance of 15 minutes. I carefully chose my material, guided mostly by a wish not to spread more doom and gloom in the darkest time of the year. I included a feminist parody of William Carlos Williams’ poem “This is Just to Say” and I finished with a poem about last spring, in the hope that spring will come again.

Unfortunately, the last Magic Words of 2012 also turned out to be the last held in Bramsche, as the bar closed down. Emma Decent is holding off Magic Words until spring 2013. So, instead of Magic Words in January, come to Speech Bubble, on 24 Jan in The Hole in the Wall, where established poets will mix with the beginners to raise funds for the Flood Relief – and where I will read my Sherlock Suite with my brother’s music.

At Magic Words, Emma was very kind introducing me. In fact, I was overwhelmed with gratitude I felt for her, the audience and fellow performers who had been so supportive since March 2012 when it all started.

Before I started my set, I told a true story of how when the audience first clapped before I even started reading, I was taken aback and even forgot my lines – I literally did not know how to handle this.

John Hepworth going wild

At the next Magic Words, when I mentioned this to an audience member and said I did not know what to do, she said: “Don’t get cocky!”. So, in response to that my fellow performer John Hepworth wrote this as his feedback: “Cocky about taboos! And all the better for it” – John Hepworth. I read some menstrual poems. Or, perhaps, he meant the taboo of not mocking William Carlos Williams.

John himself, in addition to his usual brilliant performance, also recited, to my delight, one of my favorite poems ever: Talking Turkeys by the marvellous vegan Benjamin Zephaniah. if you absolutely MUST do Christmas (which magic Words regulars will know I oppose, as I read an anti-Christmas poem for the two last months), at least make it vegan!

Oxana Poberejnaia grateful to Magic Words organisers and audience

The kind people of the audience and fellow performers wrote this about my poems and frame drum: (You can find more audience feedback here).